Grade 8 Daily Log

March 18-22MondayAfter a short reading check, we discussed elements of Chapters 4 and 5 and continued to identify elements of this genre. Students began reading Chapter 6 in their novels. Hours 4 and 5 are to complete these Chapter 6 Reading Tasks in their spirals.

TuesdayStudents worked in small groups today. First, they discussed the Chapter 6 Reading Tasks together. Then they practiced small group skills while completing a practice assessment together. Once completed, they began their work on the Chapter 6 Assessment. They will finish this assessment in class tomorrow.

WednesdayStudents finished their group Chapter 6 Assessment. For homework, they are to read the first half of Chapter 7 and provide complete the Chapter 7 tasks.

ThursdayStudents who did not attend today's field trip finished reading Chapter 7 with me in class. Then they read Chapter 8 silently and began work on these Chapter7/8 Close Reading Tasks.

TuesdayWell, we're still working with tons of absences throughout the building! Today, students read Chapter 2 and completed Tasks in their Spirals.

WednesdayStudents had a little more time to complete the Chapter 2 Spirals tasks before we began our next timed group challenge. The Chapter 2 tasks are due for tomorrow's class. HERE IS A COPY OF THE TEXT for those at home without their novels. Our group challenge today was a timed activity related to the Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 vocabulary assignments. (Students were to have this ready for class yesterday.) If you were absent today, or for those who did not have their vocabulary ready for class, HERE IS THE VOCABULARY DRAWING ACTIVITY. You may complete this individually on a blank sheet of paper and turn this in.

ThursdayAs a class, we highlighted various portions of Chapter 2--specifically the character Charlie. We then began reading Chapter 3. This chapter is to be completed for tomorrow's class. If you're absent and without your novel, here is a copy of the chapter. ​FridayAfter silent reading today, students began reading Chapters 4 and 5 from The Game. For Monday, those chapters are to be completed along with these Chapter 4 and 5 Guided Reading Questions.

March 4-8MondayHours 3,4,6These hours dove right into a conversation about this weekend's reading "Harrison Bergeron." Students completed a short reading check, and then we discussed these Harrison Bergeron questions. We were able to make some connections between elements of this story and the other two dystopian pieces we've read this quarter: "The Pedestrian" and "Examination Day." We also began examining the film adaptation of this story, titled 2081. Our aim is to examine what changes the filmmakers made to this story. In class today, we got roughly halfway through (14 minutes). I passed out this Text/Film sheet for students to see isolated versions of Harrison's words in the text and his words from the film. Students are to complete that reflection for tomorrow's class: Contrast Harrisons speaking parts from the text with those from the film. How is his purpose different in the film?Hour 55th Hour was on a different schedule today due to Friday's assembly. They finished typing their argumentative paragraphs about surveillance. They began completing the Harrison Bergeron Reflections. These are due for tomorrow's class.

TuesdayWe finished the remaining 10 minutes of 2081 today and identified differences between the ending in the video adaptation and the actual text using this Text/Film sheet (focus on the TV feed!). We completed the second page of that file too, examining an analogy to help us understand dystopian fiction. Then we began to investigate similarities across our three dystopian stories from class: "The Pedestrian," "Examination Day," and "Harrison Bergeron." In small groups, students discussed THESE QUESTIONS to bring themselves closer to a definition of dystopian fiction. Finally, on large index cards, students created their best original definitions of dystopian literature, and they provided an illustration reflecting their definitions.

WednesdayStudents completed an impromptu writing piece demonstrating their understanding of dystopian fiction. Then I passed out this quarter's novel, The Game. We read the first 9 pages of the novel. HERE IS CHAPTER 1 TO READ AT HOME! That beginning portion of the novel revealed elements of the exposition. We were also introduced to a character named Rich. For tomorrow's class, students are to have this Exposition/Rich Spotlight page completed.

FridayStudents participated in The Marshmallow Challenge today in class. The aim was for students to explore their roles/contributions in a group setting. They made predictions about how their groups would perform, and then they reflected on those predictions when the competition ended. Their reflection sheets are due for Monday's class. If you were absent today, you will not be able to make this assignment up. In the place of the reflection sheet I will collect from the others, you are to complete thisCHAPTER 1 Written Responses assignment. Once again HERE IS CHAPTER 1 TO READ AT HOME!

​In addition, students know I am assigning a short story every Friday during the month. Last weekend's reading was "Harrison Bergeron." This weekend's reading is "Autumntime."

ThursdayWe began class today looking specifically at the short portion of text from yesterday's sheet--the Rich spotlight. There are three uses of italics in that section. Why did the author use italics? The obvious answer is to add emphasis. However, what is that emphasis supposed to reveal about Rich? Remember, from yesterday's reading, Lisse just found out the she has been declared unemployed. Rich, on the other hand, has a job lined up for him at his father's psychiatry practice. If we emphasize Rich's words where there are italics, what kind of meaning does this add to our understanding of him? Here, the author is using italics as a tool to help us pick up on cues we would be able to hear if we were listening to the conversation out loud. Make sense?

To help us choose a word to best describe this character, students completed a semantic gradient. (They added this on their spotlight sheet from yesterday.) They placed the adjectives on the gradient and then determined which word they thought best described this character. (They added these notes to their spotlight sheet from yesterday too.) Finally, we read through the remainder of Chapter 1 and continued to identify elements of exposition related to thought police, DA's, clothing, and scrounging. HERE IS CHAPTER 1 TO READ AT HOME!

February 25-March 1MondayWe held our class spelling bee today in class. When finished, students independently read "Examination Day," by Henry Slesar and began completing the Examination Day Responses. These responses are due for tomorrow's class.

TuesdayWe held great class discussions today about yesterday's story, Examination Day. Here are the questions students addressed in groups and with me.

Wednesday,We had another great discussion today building off of yesterday. Students watched this short video, and they shared what specific parts they agreed or disagreed with. We began looking at how schools operate--beginning with testing. Students worked in pods to discuss their responses to a short testing survey. Then they generated answers and solutions to a series of prompts. Testing is one form of data that schools collect about students. That data becomes part of students' profiles. We ended class by examining what other kinds of information is a part of our school profile. How do schools use that information? Tomorrow, we will discuss what other kinds of information could become a part of student profiles and how this could change schools of the future.

ThursdayI passed back students' argumentative paragraphs about homework today. We used this Argumentative Parts Analysis to identify examples of proper elements. On the second page of that file, students were given an outline for their next argumentative paragraphs about student surveillance. For two days, we've held amazing discussions about how schools function and how schools use information collected about students. We re-watched a short portion of this short video from yesterday (2:04-2:45). We posed the following question: If a"cookie cutter" approach to teaching is not good, and schools are not meeting the individual need of students, how do we get to where we want to be?

As a class we considered our lists from yesterday's discussion (column one-what we know/ column two-what if we knew). Most students were uncomfortable with the idea of more cameras in schools for the purpose of collecting data, recorded classroom discussions, data collection from their web sites and computer files, etc. This became the question: Are we willing to accept increased surveillance and data recording in schools with the aim of providing more individualized instruction? We then referred to some text and completed the tasks for this article "Surveillance in Schools: Where Is This Taking Us?" For homework, students are to use page two of the Argumentative Parts Analysis sheet to create their argumentative paragraph about school surveillance. Tomorrow, students will type this in class. ​FridayStudents typed their argumentative paragraphs today in class. For homework, they are to read "Harrison Bergeron."

February 11-15MondayWe finished writing our argumentative pieces in class today. Students labeled and identified each part of their argument. Then we went back to our packets and began reading/completing the tasks for Ray Bradbury's "The Pedestrian." We will finish this story tomorrow.

WednesdayWe examined Ray Bradbury's "The Pedestrian." Students worked in groups to complete close reading tasks leading to our identification of theme.

ThursdayWe students answered dome deeper thinking questions about "The Pedestrian today." Then we transitioned back to argumentative writing. I passed out this sample argumentative packet first. Students used highlighters with partners to identify elements of argumentative writing. Tonight, they are to read the first article in that packet "Should kids have homework? The great debate." In their notebooks, they are to create an argumentative paragraph addressing that question.

FridayStudents typed their argumentative paragraphs from last night's homework. They used this template for typing, and I also provided suggestions for working the evidence portion of their paragraphs on this Argumentative Evidence Reference Sample. As a reminder, students, we will be conducting our class spelling bee when we return on Monday. Here is the 8th grade list of words.

February 4-8MondayToday we began our science fiction unit. The day consisted of an exploration of a popular form of technology in today's society--the cellphone. We identified positive functions, negative effects, and potential versions of the future.

TuesdayWe continued exploring elements of dystopian fiction today. Continuing our examination of modern day cell phones, students examined this clip from Wall-E to identify dystopian elements and function of screens. We discussed whether or not such a society is possible based on today's trends. I passed out a screen time packet. Students began working through the first nonfiction article titled "Is Screen Time a Serious Threat to Mental Health?" This is to be completed for tomorrow's class.

FridayToday student examined a counter perspective in our exploration of the effects of screen time on kids. We shared examples of the internet housing all types of two-sided information. We then began introducing elements of argumentative writing. I used an argumentative example in class to begin this discussion. Finally, students demonstrated these examples in their spiral notebooks. Using our topic screen time, students provided a claim revealing whether or not they felt screen time is harmful for kids. They wrote their reasoning, and backed that reasoning with evidence from one of our two texts from class. They provided a counterargument and a rebuttal before ending the paragraph.

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"Homework Machine" by Shel Silverstein

The Homework Machine, oh the Homework Machine,Most perfect contraption that’s ever been seen.Just put in your homework, then drop in a dime,Snap on the switch, and in ten seconds time,You homework comes out, quick and clean as can be.Here it is – “nine plus four?” and the answer is “three”. Three?Oh me...I guess it’s not as perfectAs I thought it would be.